Flying winger Juan Imhoff has put the excitement of last weekend’s quarter-final win over Ireland behind him to focus on his main responsibility: helping Argentina reach their first Rugby World Cup final.
He knows that beating two-time champions Australia in their semi-final on Sunday would require another step up in quality, but he is confident the Pumas have what it takes to win.
“I am talking about responsibility, because I know this team is not satisfied with what we have achieved up to here,” he said on Tuesday. “We know that if we leave everything in the semi-final” the final is within reach.
Photo: Reuters
Imhoff scored tries before and after halftime on Sunday in Argentina’s 43-20 win over Ireland, just hours before Australia needed a contentious, last-minute penalty to edge a plucky Scotland 35-34.
While Argentina raced to a 17-0 lead to stun Ireland early, attacking with width and stretching the defense to their limits, Australia never really got on top of Scotland, despite scoring five tries.
The approach of both teams in the semi-final is expected to be on running rugby, something the Wallabies are traditionally recognized for, but which the Pumas have only in recent years really taken to heart.
Argentina reached the semi-finals in 2007, topping a group that included hosts France and then beating Scotland in the quarter-finals before losing to South Africa. The Pumas finished on a high by beating France for third place. That performance was based on a powerful scrum — the long-time staple of Pumas rugby — a smart scrumhalf and a kicking flyhalf.
Since joining New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the annual Rugby Championship, Argentina have expanded their repertoire to add attacking threats across the backline.
It has paid off at the World Cup, where Argentina’s tally of 26 tries is second only to New Zealand’s 34. Australia have crossed for 22 tries, though they came through a tougher group, including Wales, England and Fiji.
Imhoff said the Wallabies would be considered favorites, given that they have won 19 and drawn one of the previous 24 encounters against Argentina, including 10 of the past 11, but that suited the Pumas.
“Australia are a very tough team, and they are one small step up in terms of our game,” said Imhoff, who is equal-second in the tournament try-scoring list with five. “We have to focus on different things than we focused on against Ireland.”
“They are a team that opens up the field, gives great impetus to the ball with quick phases,” he said. “We will have to focus there, to defend with more intensity, and in attack we must continue on this path, because we have been doing things right.”
The Pumas had a breakthrough at home in the Rugby Championship in October last year, when they rallied to beat Australia for the first time in the competition — 21-17 in Mendoza, Argentina.
It can happen again “if we play the game of our lives,” Imhoff said.
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